1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a picture search method and apparatus for digital reproduction. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a picture search method and apparatus enabling a user to find an exact reproduction start time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital reproducers/recorders using various storage mediums such as a HDD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc are today widely used. The digital reproducer/recorder provides general recording and reproducing functions and additional services, such as high-speed forward reproduction, high-speed reverse reproduction, low-speed forward reproduction, and low-speed reverse reproduction.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a conventional digital reproduction system. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional digital reproduction system includes a storage unit 110 for storing programs, a media interface 120 for connecting the storage unit 110 with a stream decoder, a stream decoder 130 for receiving a stream of the stored programs from the media interface 120 to demultiplex the stream into a plurality of programs, an audio decoder 140 for decoding an audio stream received from the stream decoder 130, a video decoder 150 for decoding a video stream received from the stream decoder 130, a display unit 160 for displaying a video picture on a screen, and a controller 170 for controlling respective components of the digital reproduction system.
The digital reproduction system performs a reproducing process as follows. First, a stream of a program (program stream) selected by a user among the programs stored in the storage unit 110 is transmitted from the storage unit 110 to the stream decoder 130 via the media interface 120. The stream decoder 130 converts the program stream into a video Elementary Stream (ES) and outputs the video ES to the video decoder 150. The video decoder 150 decodes only reference pictures included in the received video ES and transfers the decoded results to the display unit 160. The display unit 160 reproduces the reference pictures.
The digital reproduction system may perform reproduction at a reproduction speed faster than a normal reproduction speed. The display unit 160 displays pictures while skipping some pictures according to a predetermined reproduction speed without displaying all pictures to be shown at a normal reproduction speed. If a user manipulates buttons to select desired pictures while seeing a screen during high-speed forward (or reverse) reproduction, the user may not see the desired pictures due to delay, etc. caused by a time difference between the time when the user presses the buttons and a response time of the reproduction system. Particularly, the user has more difficulty in exactly finding a desired reproduction start time at a high reproduction speed due to the lower number of pictures between reference pictures.